Buddhism for You Lesson07 Noble Eight Fold Path 100606100622 Phpapp01

8/2/2019 Buddhism for You Lesson07 Noble Eight Fold Path 100606100622 Phpapp01

1/27

Lesson 7

The TimelessTruth (Part 2)

NobleEightfold Path


2/27

The Fourth Noble Truth:

The Fourth Noble Truth is also known as

the Noble Eightfold Path or the Middle

Path.

It avoids the extreme of sensual pleasureand self-mortification, eternalism and

nilism, optimism and pessimism.

The Path Leading to the End of Dukkha

It is a planned course of inward culture

and progress and is not practised out ofany fear of the supernatural. It is

practised when one is convinced of the

intrinsic value as a way of life.


3/27

Noble Eightfold Path

The Path is a means and never an end.

It brings about dispassion and detachment by

the gradual elimination of the desire for

sensual pleasure.

It leads to the development of compassion

and the cultivation of a selfless love for all

that lives.

The Path leads from selfishness to altruism,

from the unreal to the Real.


4/27

The eight divisions can be

grouped into 3 groups asfollows:

Right SpeechRight Action

Right Livelihood

Sila(morality)

Right EffortRight Mindfulness

Right Concentration

Samadhi(concentration)

Right Understanding

Right Thought

Panna(wisdom)

Wisdo

m

Concen

tration

Noble Eightfold Path

Morality


5/27

SILA (Morality)

The first group of the Noble Eightfold Path

deals with morality.

Three factors: Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood


6/27

SILA (Morality)

Sila is based on love and compassion forall beings.

Both qualities, compassion and wisdomshould be developed equally for a manto become perfect.

Compassion

Love, charity,kindness, toleranceand such noblequalities of the heart.

Wisdom

Ability to penetrateinto the real nature ofthings and understandthings without being clouded

with delusion.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.synergyworldwide.net/images/synergyforlife/wisdom.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.synergyworldwide.net/corporate/synergyforlife/synergy_for_life.html&h=214&w=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwisdom%26start%3D140%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DNhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.synergyworldwide.net/images/synergyforlife/wisdom.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.synergyworldwide.net/corporate/synergyforlife/synergy_for_life.html&h=214&w=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwisdom%26start%3D140%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN


7/27

SILA (Morality)Right Speech (Samma Vaca)

Perfect Speech or Right Speech is onethat is truthful, affectionate, helpful,and which promotes concord,harmony, and unity.

It reflects inner wisdom, clear vision,and Buddha-nature and represents theIdeal of Human Communication.

Imperfect Speech or Wrong Speech isuntruthful, harsh, harmful, and whichpromotes discord, disharmony anddisunity.


8/27

Speak the Truth, Tell No LiesSILA - Right Speech

Words spoken without guile, conflict orhidden agendas.

Factual truthfulness is important, buttruthfulness is also psychological andspiritual.

Besides factual accuracy, speaking the truthinvolves an attitude of honesty and sincerity.

It means that we are honest with ourselves.

Honest communication and mutualunderstanding is the essence of good

relationships


9/27

SILA (Morality)Right Action (Samma Kammanta)

Two aspects: What we doand what we refrain fromdoing.

Right action aims at promoting

moral, honourable and peacefulconduct.

One should refrain from:

Destroying life

Stealing

Dishonest dealings

Illegitimate sexual misconduct

Taking intoxicants
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=home.istar.ca/~rdalfers/BURGLARI.GIF&imgrefurl=http://home.istar.ca/~rdalfers/STORY1D.html&h=233&w=180&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drobbers%26start%3D340%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DNhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.unixguru.co.uk/www.nlceg.org/graphics/ministries/kidzklub/cops%26robbers/officer_muldoon_struggling_crook_lg_wht.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.unixguru.co.uk/www.nlceg.org/html/ministries/youth/kidzklub/&h=195&w=156&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drobbers%26start%3D140%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN


10/27

SILA (Morality)Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva)

Avoid occupations/trades which causesuffering to oneself and others.

One should refrain from

trade dealing in:

Arms/lethal weapons

Intoxicating drinks

Poisons

Killing animals

Cheating

Human beings
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.cfc-ccaf.gc.ca/en/owners_users/fact_sheets/images/hunter.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.cfc-ccaf.gc.ca/en/owners_users/fact_sheets/default.asp&h=185&w=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhunter%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8


11/27

Two Requirements of Right Livelihood

Provide the necessities oflifefood, clothing, shelter,medicine and education.

The work must be ethicallywholesome. Many types ofwork provide an adequate or

even excellent income, butinvolve dishonesty,exploitation or cruelty.

Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva)
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.gamasutra.com/features/20001204/butcher.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20001204/davies_01.htm&h=311&w=200&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbutcher%26start%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN


12/27

SILA (Morality) - Summary

Right Speech (Samma Vaca)

Right Action (Samma Kammanta)

Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva)

The Buddhist ethical and moral conduct aims

at promoting harmony and happiness for the

life of the individual and society.

Morality also forms the indispensablefoundation for all higher spiritual attainments.


13/27

Samadhi (Mental Discipline)

The second group of theNoble Eightfold Path dealswith the human mind.

Samadhi means mentaldiscipline or mental culture.

Three factors: Right Effort

Right Mindfulness

Right Concentration


14/27

SAMADHI (Mental Discipline)Right Effort (Samma Vayama)

Endeavour to live a moral and blameless life.

The 4 Right Efforts are:

Effort to overcome evil that

has already arisen.

Effort to avoid evil that hasnot yet arisen.

Effort to develop good notyet arisen.

Effort to promote the goodthat has already arisen.


15/27

SAMADHI (Mental Discipline)Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati)

Right Mindfulness is to be diligently attentive of

what happens to us and in us.

It is to be mindful of our thoughts, speech and

actions.

With mindfulness, we are less inclined to be

thoughtless and careless.

We establish harmony and peace by cultivatingthe alertness of the mind and awareness of

conduct.


16/27

SAMADHI (Mental Discipline)

The most important Sutta on the development ofmindfulness is the Satipatthana Sutta.

The Four Foundations of

Mindfulness areawareness of:

The activities of the body.

Sensations or feelings.

The activities of the mind.

Ideas, thoughts, conceptions

and things.

Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati)


17/27


For example, when anger arises, dont think

Im angry, as if the anger belongs to us.

Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati)

Be aware of the arising of anger and the state

of an angry mind, and realise that it is both

impermanent and devoid of self.

By doing so, the anger loses its compelling

power and quickly subsides.

This is the technique of nipping anxiety and

other negative thoughts and cultivate

positive feelings such as love, compassion,

mental purity, equanimity and happiness.


18/27


Concentration to the point of clear insight

is the peak of Buddhist endeavour and sets

Buddhism apart from other teachings.

Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi)

Meditation is not, as some people think,reflecting upon, thinking about a subject

and pondering.

It is observing with alertness and keepingthe attention on the subject without

wavering of the mind.


19/27

PANNA (Wisdom)

The third group of the Noble Eightfold Path

deals with wisdom.

Two factors: Right Understanding

Right Thought


20/27

PANNA (Wisdom)Right Understanding (Samma Ditthi)

What needs to be understood?

People differ in their realisation and

understanding of universal phenomena.

Correspondingly, their practice of the

Dhamma differ.

But as a person gains more and more insight,

he develops an unshakeable confidence in the

Buddha Dhamma, when he realises for

himself how true the words of the Buddha are.


21/27

PANNA (Wisdom)

What needs to be understood?

Understanding the universal truths of the Four

Noble Truths (Dukkha; Arising of Dukkha, the

End of Dukkha; Path leading to the end ofDukkha)

Realisation that we are the owner of our Kamma,

the intentional actions by body, speech and

thought.

Understanding of the three characteristics of

life that govern everything that exists: Anicca,

Dukkha, Anatta.

Right Understanding (Samma Ditthi)


22/27

PANNA (Wisdom)Our understanding ofthings can be viewedat two levels:

Intellectual grasping of asubject according to certaingiven data. We learn thisfrom reading, discussingand listening.

A deeper and more profound level

is penetration into the very natureof things. This is experienced andrealised from the very depth ofour being that makes us resolveto do or to avoid doing certain

things.


23/27

PANNA (Wisdom)Right Thought (Samma Samkappa)

Why Right

Thought?

Eliminating evil thoughts.

Developing pure thoughts.

Dhammapada Verse 1 states:

Mind preceds all mental states

Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought.

If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts,

suffering follows him like the wheel

that follows the foot of the ox.


24/27


Right Thought constists of:

a. Nekkhama renunciation of world

pleasures or selfishness, which is

opposed to attachment, selfishness andself-possessiveness.

b. Avyapada loving-kindness, goodwill, or

benevolence, which is opposed to

hatred, ill-will or aversion.c. Avihimsa harmlessness or

compassion, which is opposed to cruelty

and coldness of heart.


25/27


Good and evil forces are latent in all of us.

The evil forces will rise to the surface atunexpected moments.

Greed and hatred, coupled with ignorance,are the chief causes of all evil.

The Dhammapada Verse 251 states:

There is no fire like lust, no grip like hate,

There is no net like delusion, no river like craving.

In the Noble Eightfold


26/27

RgLveh

In the Noble EightfoldPath, the Buddha hasprovided us with a

map of the roadleading to Nibbana.

This is the only path toget out of Samsara.Practise the Path diligently.Sadhu!! Sadhu!! Sadhu!!


27/27

The gift of Dhamma excels all giftsthe taste of Dhamma excels all taste,the delight in dhamma excels all delights,

The Craving-Freed vanquishes all suffering.- Dhammapada verse 354

End of Lesson 7

Buddhism for You Lesson07 Noble Eight Fold Path 100606100622 Phpapp01

Documents